Acute Obstetrics : A Practical Guide

James Aiman

This is a paperback book clearly intended to becarried in a pocket of a clinical coat to provide immediate access torelevant clinical information. This book provides the practicingphysician, resident, and medical student with a quick and accuratereference concerning the management of high-risk obstetric patients.This is a worthwhile objective largely accomplished by theauthors. The authors state that practicing obstetricians, residents,and medical students are the target audience for this book. I opposethe notion of medical students using this as the source of obstetricinformation on their clerkship. This is a Cliff's Notes forobstetrics best used by those who have read moreextensively. Illustrations are few, appropriate for the purpose ofthis book. The references include a good mix of current citations andclassic review articles. The bibliography is short, also appropriatefor the authors' purpose. The table of contents is superb. The authorsshould consider adding symptoms and problems to the index as a means ofgenerating a symptom-focused approach. The book should withstand therigors of frequent use. Each section is preserved in outline form ina standard format. A desired topic can be located quickly by scanningthe table of contents. Pertinent information such as symptoms,physical findings, appropriate lab, differential diagnosis, andtreatment are then given in highlighted sections in each chapter. However, the book is much less helpful if the reader is searching for adiagnosis from a set of complaints and findings.

Reviewer: James Aiman, MD (Medical College of Wisconsin)
Description: This is a paperback book clearly intended to be carried in a pocket of a clinical coat to provide immediate access to relevant clinical information.
Purpose: ^^This book provides the practicing physician, resident, and medical student with a quick and accurate reference concerning the management of high-risk obstetric patients.^^ This is a worthwhile objective largely accomplished by the authors.
Audience: The authors state that practicing obstetricians, residents, and medical students are the target audience for this book. I oppose the notion of medical students using this as the source of obstetric information on their clerkship. This is a ^^Cliff's Notes^^ for obstetrics best used by those who have read more extensively.
Features: Illustrations are few, appropriate for the purpose of this book. The references include a good mix of current citations and classic review articles. The bibliography is short, also appropriate for the authors' purpose. The table of contents is superb. The authors should consider adding symptoms and problems to the index as a means of generating a symptom-focused approach. The book should withstand the rigors of frequent use.
Assessment: Each section is preserved in outline form in a standard format. A desired topic can be located quickly by scanning the table of contents. Pertinent information such as symptoms, physical findings, appropriate lab, differential diagnosis, and treatment are then given in highlighted sections in each chapter. However, the book is much less helpful if the reader is searching for a diagnosis from a set of complaints and findings.

3 Stars from Doody